


Minimum Security

by scrubclub



Series: AryaxGendry Week 2018 [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-15 03:02:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15403512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrubclub/pseuds/scrubclub
Summary: Written for AryaxGendry Week Day 2: "Caught Red-Handed"Modern AU featuring Gendry the security guard who kind of sucks at his job and Arya on a revenge mission.





	Minimum Security

Parties at the Baratheon manor were always an exhausting affair. Rich people drowning themselves in champagne until the sun came up, pretending they all liked each other, loudly admiring the great hall’s decor while wearing clothes worth more money than Gendry had to his name. 

Tonight was Joffrey Baratheon’s 22nd birthday party and it promised to be as painstakingly drawn out and lavish as every other gala and celebration his mother planned. Gendry stood at the door to the great hall, struggling to keep a straight face as a deeply intoxicated woman 10 years his senior ran a hand along his chest on her way into the party. _6 more shifts_ , he told himself. 

As a summer job, working security at the Baratheon household wasn’t all bad. The money was great and most days he didn’t have to deal directly with the family themselves - in fact, he had still yet to meet Robert Baratheon in person. The parties, though exhausting, generally went off without a hitch, and his day-to-day responsibilities were fairly simply - standing by a gate for a few hours, helping Tommen keep track of all of his kittens, labelling and shelving old security tapes, and so on. There was one task that did tend to leave him feeling rather uncomfortable though: Joffrey-sitting. 

Gendry had spent his youth hopping between foster homes and shelters, encountering just about every kind of asshole along the way. But Joffrey was something special. Never in his life had Gendry met someone so spoiled and yet so consistently displeased. Once, had seen Joffrey threaten a maid with termination when she moved one of his many sets of car keys. He had since banned the entirety of the cleaning staff from entering his room, save one particularly snivelling member that he trusted. On another occasion, Gendry had seen Joffrey slap his younger brother, but had been held back from interfering by Sandor Clegane, Joffrey’s personal bodyguard. 

“I thought it was our job to protect the family,” he had asked in their staff room a half hour later. Clegane had raised an eyebrow at him and laughed. 

“I’m not sure you’re cut out for this, boy,” Clegane had replied, “You’re best ignoring him for your short time here and then fucking off back to school.” 

Gendry had tried his best to follow Clegane’s advice. He needed the money if he was going to pay his way through another year of university, and it was only for a couple of months. But ignoring Joffrey’s behaviour proved hard, especially when it came to women. Sansa Stark was pretty and polite and seemed completely unaware that her boyfriend was a shithead - and not a particularly discreet shithead at that. 

At most parties, Gendry saw Joffrey make off with girls while Sansa shook hands with fellow guests and complimented Cersei on her decor choices. Twice, Gendry was ordered to subtly escort one of Joffrey’s lady friends out of his bedroom and off of the property without alerting Sansa to their presence. Luckily, the Baratheon’s lived in a home so large Gendry would feel comfortable calling it a palace, so this was never too difficult. But he hated doing it, hated himself for signing an NDA that prevented him from telling Sansa Stark anything. By August, the paycheques hardly felt worth it. Gendry had submitted his 2-week notice a week earlier than he needed to, but he figured that a bit of time off before school would be good for him - especially after a summer of covering up for spoiled pricks and being hit on by rich old ladies. 

Gendry felt a tap on his shoulder and saw that Arys Oakheart had come to take over the entrance post. “Go do the rounds in the east wing - shouldn’t be much bother. Bit of peace and quiet.” The older man smiled and Gendry nodded. He took a last look at the hall - Sansa Stark was dancing with her father, Cersei was cradling a flute of champagne and pretending to listen to a black-haired lady’s chatter, and Joffrey was talking closely with a giggling brunette in a red dress. Gendry refrained from rolling his eyes and set off to his new post. 

He arrived upstairs in the east wing, where most of the manor’s the bedchambers were located, and relieved a dozing Preston Greenfield. Greenfield blinked four or five times before registering who Gendry was and setting off down the stairs. Finally alone, Gendry unbuttoned his suit jacket and leant against the wall, relieved to put some distance between himself and the loud music and chatter. 

He was about to begin his route towards Myrcella’s room when a faint ripping noise caught his attention. It was coming from his left - Joffrey’s room. He moved down the hall swiftly, almost certain that Joffrey and his female companion could not have made it up here before him. He froze when he saw that the door was ajar. Carefully, he drew his weapon and his flashlight and inched towards the room. There was definitely someone in there, going through drawers by the sounds of it. _Who would be stupid enough to rob this place on the night of a party?_ He swallowed as he reached the crack in the door. _They better not be armed. I refuse to die protecting Joffrey Baratheon’s collection of polo shirts._ He kicked the door open and shone his light into the room. 

“Seven hells, turn that off!” The intruder was squinting, a hand in front of her face. She wore a short black dress and sheer tights, but was shoeless. 

“Freeze,” he said, holding his taser up in what he hoped was an intimidating manner.

“I have frozen,” she said, “I literally have not moved since you decided to blind me with that light.” 

“Who are you? What are you doing in here?” He decided to ignore her point about not moving. 

“Joffrey told me to meet him up here,” she said simply, “I don’t think he wanted his girlfriend to see us leave together.” He lowered his flashlight and turned on the ceiling lamp. The girl brought her hand away from her face and he got a proper look at her. She was short, shorter than the girl Joffrey had been talking to. Her dark hair fell just above her shoulders and was partially pulled back by braids. Joffrey’s companion had been wearing a high bun. She was pretty enough to be one of Joffrey’s girls - her eyebrows were striking, her eyes large and cool grey, her pink lips pulled into an innocent smile - but he was certain this wasn’t the same girl. He glanced at the wardrobe - a few drawers were open. The bed looked as if it had been hastily made and there was a plastic bag at the girl’s feet that she appeared to be trying to hide. 

“Joffrey’s downstairs with some other girl,” he said, “Who are you and what are you doing up here?” She narrowed her eyes at him. 

“What are you going to do - tase me?” It sounded almost like she wanted him to try. 

“If I have to,” he lied, “My guys are on their way up right now, so let’s just -” 

“No they’re not,” she interrupted, “if you had called for back-up, I would have heard you call for back-up.” _Shit_.

“Are you trying to steal something?” he asked, again choosing to ignore the valid point she had made. She rolled her eyes. 

“No, and even if I was, one of Joffrey’s guard dogs wouldn’t stop me from doing so.” 

“I’m not Joffrey’s guard dog,” he said, not sure why he felt that this was the most important point to make. She cocked her head at this, looking at him curiously. He felt slightly uncomfortable under her gaze, but not in an unpleasant way. 

“So you won’t be getting in my way, then,” she said after a moment, “if you’re not one of Joffrey’s boys.” He scowled. She smirked, and he couldn’t help but notice that her eyes were sparkling. Focus, Gendry. 

“Who are you?” he asked again. 

“You don’t like him either, do you? Every time I say his name your eyes get all dark and angry,” She was still looking at him curiously, as if she found him amusing, “And when I implied that I was just waiting up here to fuck him, you didn’t even bother to pretend that he was with Sansa. Oh, there go the eyes again.”

He wasn’t sure if her impromptu character analysis or the thought of Joffrey fucking her bothered him more. She smiled at him.

No, it was definitely the thought of Joffrey fucking her. “Enough,” he said, “just tell me -”

“Is it Sansa, then? Makes sense,” she said, sitting on Joffrey’s bed, “She’s very pretty. And you would almost definitely be a better boyfriend, just based on the fact that you’re not Joffrey.” 

“What? I don’t want to date Sansa Stark,” he said, incredulous, “I just think Joffrey’s a dick.” 

“Oh,” she said, surprised. Then she looked at him, excited. “Well then I guess we have something in common.” She stood up. “Want to help me?” 

“What exactly are you doing?” She opened up the plastic bag at her feet to reveal an assortment of fruits and vegetables. 

“Nothing illegal - I’ve checked,” she said confidently, offering him a couple of small oranges, “I just want to get a bit of revenge.” He hesitated. He knew that he should call for back-up, or at least attempt to detain her. _6 more shifts_. Joffrey probably deserved whatever this girl had planned for him. _Fuck it_. 

“Revenge?” He asked, “So you and Joff- you didn’t know he had a girlfriend when you-,” he couldn’t bring himself to say it. He couldn’t imagine the bullshit act Joffrey would have had to put on to pull a girl like this. He had met her only moments ago and the thought made him sick. It seemed to have the same effect on her. 

“Excuse me? Do you seriously think I fucked Joffrey Baratheon?” She looked beyond offended. “I’m getting revenge on my sister’s behalf, since apparently she’s too in love to see how awful he is.” She sighed sadly and unzipped a pillowcase, throwing a banana peel into it before zipping it back up. 

“You’re Sansa’s sister?” Gendry asked, shocked. She nodded. 

“I’m sure you’re wondering where the red hair and killer legs are, but I promise we are related.” Gendry wasn’t sure what she meant by that. Her hair was different, sure, but her dress fell well above her knees, showing off legs that were undeniably - as she would put it - killer. 

“And the fruit?” He asked, deciding that it wasn’t quite an appropriate time to compliment her legs. 

“It’s all mostly fresh right now,” she said, smiling, “But it’ll rot soon enough. And if we hide enough, it will take him ages to find it all.” He blinked at her and then laughed.

“You’re evil, you know that?” 

“He’s the one cheating on my sister,” she shrugged. He smiled at her and placed one of the oranges on a high shelf, far out of Joffrey’s reach. 

“You’re lucky there aren’t cameras in this wing,” he said. The girl scoffed. 

“Lucky? I did my research. There’s no way I’m getting caught,” she glanced at him, “unless you snitch on me.” She gave him a look that was somewhere between teasing and accusatory. 

“I think you’ve proven that you’re not to be messed with,” he smiled. “So, is this how all rich people get back at each other? I always imagined it would be more like the soaps.” She tucked a few berries into one of Joffrey’s trophies and shrugged. 

“I figured that throwing water in his face was sort of passé, you know?” 

“Very fair,” he said. “You’re creative, I’ll give you that.” 

“Thank you. Plus, I figured that this is a relatively victimless crime, seeing as the cleaners aren’t allowed in his room anymore. He won’t have anyone to blame.” 

“How do you know -”

“I told you, I did my research,” she smiled. 

They emptied her bag of produce swiftly and she set about restoring the room to its original state. He gave her an only half-mocking impressed nod as she finished making the bed.

“What can I say, I’m a woman of many talents,” she said, bowing before pulling on a pair of black heels that Gendry had missed. 

He gave the room one last sweep before turning off the light and opening the door for her. He closed the door carefully and turned to find her facing him, rocking slightly in her shoes. 

“Thanks for your help,” she said, “And for not tasering me.” He smiled at her and swore her cheeks reddened slightly. Even with her heels on, she was over a foot shorter than him. A sudden look of concern crossed her face. “I hope I haven’t endangered your job.” He let out a short laugh. 

“I’ve already quit,” he said, shrugging, “This was just a summer thing to help with the student loans.” 

“You’re in school?” she asked. 

“Yeah, I’m at Bael,” he said, nodding west, as if she cared which cardinal direction his university was located. The girl’s eyes widened.

“You’re an artist?” Gendry shrugged. 

“In theory,” he said. “I make stuff out of metal.” 

“No way,” she said, her eyes lighting up, “I’d love to see -” 

“East wing all clear, Waters?” came Clegane’s scratchy voice through Gendry’s earpiece. Gendry pressed his finger to his ear and replied. 

“All good.” 

“Copy,” Clegane said, “You can head down to the back patio for your last half hour. I’ll send Oakheart back up there to do another check before midnight.” 

“Copy,” Gendry said, looking at the girl, whose name he realized he still did not know. “Sorry about that. I guess you should probably get back to the party,” he said, “I’m sure people will be wondering where you disappeared to.” She sighed. 

“I hate these parties. It’s just a bunch of fake people drinking too much champagne and telling Cersei how wonderful she is.”

“Gods,” he said as they reached the staircase and started their descent, “I get that. It’s bad enough having to watch it from a distance, I can’t imagine having to participate.” He shuddered. 

“They’re far more enjoyable when you spend them messing with guys like Joffrey,” she grinned. 

“Or hanging out with girls like you.” He wasn’t sure what made him say it, but her blush was worth it. He was glad that his attempt at flirting hadn’t fallen totally flat. 

They were approaching the entrance hallway now, where she would have to rejoin the festivities. She stopped before they turned the corner, biting her lower lip and looking up at him. Gendry was struck by how pretty she was and wondered if she had been to many parties at the Baratheon household this summer - he was certain he would have noticed her. 

“You’re cool,” she said after a moment, and then looked at her feet, “When you’re finished pretending to be one of Joffrey’s guard dogs, maybe we could hang out sometime.” He was grinning when she met his eyes again. 

“Definitely,” he said breathlessly, “that’d be - definitely.” _Smooth_. 

“Do you have a phone?” She asked. Gendry pulled his phone out of his inside breast pocket and handed it to her eagerly. She raised an eyebrow at him.

“Oh! Two-eight-five-five,” he said quickly, watching as she entered his passcode and typed in her phone number. 

“Thanks,” she said. He nodded and swallowed nervously as she stepped forward and slid the phone back into his inside pocket. They looked at each other and for a wild moment, Gendry considered leaning down and kissing her. Perhaps for the best, that train of thought was interrupted by his earpiece. 

“Waters, anything to report from the patio?” 

“Uh, just getting there now,” he replied hastily. He looked at the girl once more and was pleased to see that she looked as disappointed as he felt. 

“We should both get back to our posts,” she said, stepping away from him. “I’ll see you around, yeah?” He nodded and watched her walk away. 

The patio was empty, and he savoured the cool, fresh air. This had definitely been his favourite Baratheon party to date. He pulled out his phone to find that her contact page was still up - she hadn’t left him a name. 

\- I’m Gendry by the way. 

He hit send and waited for her reply, which came only moment later. 

\- - Arya. 

Arya. He whispered it to himself. 

\- - The lady beside me is complaining loudly because the ‘fit bodyguard’ is nowhere to be found.

\- - Finally I have something in common with one of these people.

He thanked the seven no one was around to see him smile at his screen.


End file.
